


Nothing Gold Can Stay

by xXViolet_LullabyXx



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Age Gaps, First Person, M/M, Mention of Ciel Phantomhive, Robert Frost, Sad Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-21
Updated: 2016-10-21
Packaged: 2018-08-23 17:44:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8337004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xXViolet_LullabyXx/pseuds/xXViolet_LullabyXx
Summary: In which Alois tells of his feelings for Claude and remembers a poem Claude presented to him





	

**Nature's first green is gold, Her hardest hue to hold. Her early leaf's a flower; But only so an hour. Then leaf subsides to leaf, So Eden sank to grief, So dawn goes down to day, Nothing gold can stay.**

I scoffed at this paper- this poem Claude had set in front of me, rolling my eyes and tossing it over my shoulder.

"I see no meaning in this, Claude. Of course something gold can stay. Am I not something gold?" My lip twitched upward in an almost sour smirk. I knew what he was playing at, but I didn't want to think about it.

"Yes, of course...Your Highness." He murmured, offering me a small bow before he turned. "I shall return shortly- I have preparations to attend to."

"So be it. Do what you must." I waved him off, leaning back in my chair and setting my feet up on the desk. Damn him. Damn everything about him. His beautiful golden eyes, his strong build, his stoic nature... Damn him for being so lovable, yet so cold.

Huffing angrily, I threw myself to my feet. A low growl rumbled in my throat at the empty room, and I felt like I wanted to scream. Realizing how idiotic I seemed to be acting, I let my stance relax and stared into a nearby mirror. "Nothing gold can stay... tch, as if. I'm sure he's...not... not tonight." I pulled my purple trench coat tighter around myself, meeting my own sad eyes in my reflection. Huffing and leaving the room, I figured out where I needed to be and was there. I was such an idiot for not believing he would do what he did. What I wished he hadn't.

Tracing the lines of a portrait with my soft fingertips, I sat with my legs crossed on my bed. It seemed almost meaningless to me to get your picture taken, or a portrait painted, or so forth. I saw no use in it- not many people were going to remember me if I died anyway, and they were all demons. Sighing at the thought, I set the small picture down by my bedside and turned my eyes up to the corner of where the ceiling met the wall.

A spider sat in its own little world, resting peacefully on his web as if the thought he would die one day would never trouble him. For some reason, this frustrated me. Why didn't it care that one day, it would meet eye to eye with fate? Ripping my eyes away from the bug, I started staring at the door, not surprised when it opened mere seconds after I had turned my gaze to it. Claude. He bowed slightly, though he was forced to keep one hand up due to a tray he carried. Possibly letters, possibly food, but I really didn't care.

Looking to the wall to the left of me, I motioned him in. He took nearly silent steps until he stood proper distance from me, then he began to speak.

"Today for tea we have-"

"I'm not hungry. You and the others can help yourselves." I stated. He stared at me before sighing.

"As you wish, your highness." He muttered, almost begrudgingly. He hated me so much, and I couldn't figure out why. I didn't care if a count wasn't supposed to fall for his butler, let alone another man. It's not like it would be the first time I've broken rules, anyway. Flopping back into my bed, I stared up at the ceiling until I drifted off. I was tired of dealing with my emotions and wanted temporary escape, I suppose.

I rubbed my eyes as I slowly awakened, hearing the door creak open. Rolling over to face the door, my half lidded eyes spotted him again. I let out a long breath from my nostrils, letting my eyes close again.

"Do you need something, Claude?"

"No, Your Highness. I simply came to check on you."

"Well, I'm fine and don't need anything."

"I suppose I should take my leave then." He turned to walk out, and I stiffened up and opened my eyes.

"Wait-! ...stay." I murmured a little, but he turned and looked at me with one eyebrow raised. Sighing softly, he turned to face me again.

"As you wish." He seemed to say that phrase so much for not actually caring about what I wished. After all, in his eyes, I was just his fodder, another soul to consume after he got me what I wished.

My lip twitched up in disgust, but he stood and watched me anyway. Exhaling through my nostrils and slowly calming myself down, I nuzzled my pillow with half lidded eyes and a sleepy sigh.

"Come lay beside me. I'm feeling lonely and cold. Can you manage that, Claude?" The tinge of unwillingness and disgust in his voice stung.

"...yes...I suppose so." I closed my eyes and listened to his footsteps echo until his weight indented the bed next to me and a lazy, yet firm arm drooped over my torso. At least he knew how to warm me...

I drifted off quickly, and hours ticked by like seconds in the vortex of sleep.

I woke up to a shuffle beside me and a sudden lack of heat.

"MmmClaude...? Where are you going...?"

"I was just about to wake you, Your Highness. It's time to prepare. You have guests coming, after all..." Such cold words.

I smiled weakly at the thought as I laid slouching against a tree, feeling drop after drop of blood pour from my freshly re-opened side wound. Chuckling bitterly, I closed my eyes as the growling of a wolf grew nearer.

**Nature's first green is gold**

I felt blood splatter my face, but I didn't feel any pain. Opening my eyes again, I was almost relieved to see Claude. Almost.

"What are you trying to do, master? Why are you here? Your goal is incomplete. You do not yet have Ciel Phantomhive."

**Her hardest hue to hold.**

"It's just you now...you're all that I have left." I murmured weakly, a soft smile playing at my tender lips, seemingly growing cold by the second. I weakly crawled towards him.

**Her early leaf's a flower**

He seemed to want to scoff, but didn't dare.

"Come now master, don't say such ridiculous things." I looked down and shook my head.

"Shut up...shut up, shut up!" I felt hot tears start to cascade down my cheeks.

**But only so an hour.**

I hung my head for a second before continuing.

"You're the only one...You're all that I have!" I sobbed, crawling further towards him, feeling his cold gaze burning me.

**Then leaf subsides to leaf**

I clung onto his leg, still sobbing. I knew I didn't have much longer with him anyway.

"Hoheo taralna," I sobbed bitterly. "You can't ever leave my side...Never! Not you, please Claude!" I cried, the pain growing even more unbearable and weakening.

**So Eden sank to grief.**

I let another heavy sob escape me.

"Don't you know...?" I had no idea where I was going with this, but I felt my feelings pouring out anyway. "I think you- you're my Highness!" I turned my gaze up to meet his golden eyes, as cold and unforgiving as ever. I knew I'd meant nothing to him, but he was my world, my everything...

**So dawn goes down to day**

I relaxed a little, and he sank down to his knees, wiping away the tears still streaming over my cheeks.

"What a thing to say to a butler..."

I smiled weakly at him, almost feeling the warmth of his lips against mine. I found myself leaning forward, but before I could reach him, a sharp pain spread through my head, then my body, and then everything went numb. Completely black.

It was over. I'd lost... I'd lost myself, and that caused me to loose him. Why does nothing ever fall in my favor? Maybe he was right...

**Nothing gold can stay.**

**Author's Note:**

> (A/N): I must say I'm pretty proud of this, especially since I'm relitively new to fanfic writing. I might end up posting more, but for now, I'm content with just this one story.


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